When the Past Returns
by N.S.Bennett
Summary: Max Russo is delighted when an old friend from his past, British wizard Greg Jones, comes to visit. But what she brings with her will turn the Russo family upside down.


Greg stared glumly out of the window. The rain beat down on the taxi window like an eternal power shower. The adverts kept changing, she watched until the lights and the rain gave her a headache. The taxi moved on from the traffic lights and then the adverts were gone. The driver pulled up and pointed down the road.  
>"Sub Station's just down there." He said in a rough Brooklyn accent. She threw the money onto the seat beside him, climbed out and pulled her things from the boot. "Take care now." He shouted through the window.<br>"Will do. Cheers mate!" She called back and made her way down the road. She tried to blend in but carrying all her things made her more obvious. She wasn't looking at where she was going whilst she walked down Waverly Place and walked smack into a boy. Her ankle gave a crunch as she landed on it.  
>"Oh, I'm so sorry." The boy said in a British accent. He picked her things up and then helped her to her feet. "Are you alright?"<br>"I'm fine, except for my ankle. I think it's sprained. I'm Greg by the way."  
>"I'm Mason." They shook hands, "Isn't Greg a boy's name?"<br>"It's actually Georgia but I couldn't spell when I was little so it stuck."  
>"Do you want some help? I know some people who could help you."<br>"Yes please." Greg smiled and Mason helped her into the Sub Station.

Mason sat her down at a table and then walked over to the counter. Alex was putting some cash away.  
>"Do you think you could help that girl? She's hurt her ankle." Mason asked. Alex looked at the girl and nodded. They both headed over to the table. Alex handed Greg a Diet Coke.<br>"I didn't order a Diet Coke." She said.  
>"Don't worry. My Dad will pay for it." Alex said. Mason struck up a conversation with Greg while Alex magically repaired Greg's ankle. But Greg caught the sight of the wand as Alex returned it to her boot.<br>"Cool wand." Greg commented and Alex and Mason froze. They looked up at her.  
>"How do you know about that?" Alex asked.<br>Greg shrugged, "I know about these things. It's difficult to explain." She whispered.  
>"Why don't you bring your things upstairs and tell us on the way up?" Alex suggested. Greg nodded and, evenly distributing her luggage with Mason, followed her upstairs.<p>

"So let me get this straight. You're a wizard too? But why have I never seen you at WizTech before?" Alex asked as they sat down on the orange sofa.  
>"My parents sent me to an all-girls wizard school in Australia, but I came here because I remembered one of your brothers hanging out with me when I came here before." Greg explained as Justin and Max came in from the terrace. Justin went over to the fridge but Max froze. Greg stood.<br>"Greg?" He managed to say.  
>Greg smiled weakly, "Hi," before they ran and hugged each other. Mason, Alex and Justin exchanged a look.<br>"Wait, you hung out with _Max_?" Alex asked, "What did you do, sit wondering about what it would be like to fly?"  
>"No, actually, we did some really cool stuff. Like video games and spit-ball fights..." Greg tailed off.<br>"And Greg helped me with my Geometry homework." Max added. "I think I still have that drawing you did of that fish and the sword somewhere in my room."  
>"You kept it!" Greg cried, "That was awful, can I see it?"<br>"Sure, come on!" Max grabbed her hand and they ran upstairs.  
>"Well, that was weird." Alex said, turning to face the TV. Justin came and sat next to her and Mason sat on her other side.<br>"What have I missed?" Justin asked.

"Do you remember that?" Max asked. Greg smiled. "That was such a fun day."  
>They were lying on Max's bed, looking at photographs from last summer – the summer where they had never parted company for more than three hours. The particular photos they were looking at were from the day where they had tried to do as many sports as possible.<br>Greg had been silent for a while, so Max put the photos down. "Greg, why did you come?" He asked.  
>"Blunt." Greg commented, "My parents kicked me out."<br>"What?" Max sat up and looked down at the girl who was still lying beside him. She slowly sat up.  
>"I got into some trouble, ran with the wrong crowd and they kicked me out of the house the day we were going to move. They left me with my school satchel, my suitcase, my guitar, a thousand pounds and no contact number and nowhere to go. So I came here." She shrugged awkwardly, "I can go somewhere else if it's inconvenient." She got up, but Max grabbed her arm, pulled her back down to sit next to him and hugged her. His shoulder began to feel damp and he realised that she was crying.<br>"Don't worry, Greg, you're not going anywhere else. I'm going to stay with you." Max whispered.  
>"Thank you Max. I've never had a friend like you." Greg sobbed into his t-shirt. Max held onto her tighter and never wanted to let her go.<p>

The Russo family set the table for dinner. As the family had grown over the years, they had taken to eating down in the Substation with two of the tables pushed together to make one. Juliet and Harper set out the cutlery, Justin followed them with the plates, Jerry was putting out drinking glasses and Mason was putting out napkins. Theresa eventually came down with the roast chicken and Alex followed with the vegetables. Everyone sat down and began eating.  
>"Wait a minute." Jerry said. "Something's wrong."<br>"We've forgotten about Max!" Theresa cried, "Where is he? Who saw him last?"  
>Just as Alex and Justin were about to answer, Max and Greg came downstairs. Max went into the kitchen, made two sandwiches and then handed one to Greg, lightly took her by the hand and lead her outside.<br>"Who's that?" Jerry asked.  
>"That's Greg. Her real name is Georgia and she seems to know Max quite well." Mason reported.<br>"They've been up in Max's room for the last four hours!" Alex groaned, "I can't stand four seconds in there."  
>"We should see what they're up to." Theresa said and got up. They followed her over to the door. They looked out and saw a simple scene.<br>Greg and Max were sitting side by side on the bench. Max had his arm around Greg and she was curled up against him and they were both eating their sandwiches while looking up at the stars. Everyone pushed back inside.  
>"I feel so bad." Harper said as they made their way back to the table, "I feel like I walked into someone's house uninvited."<br>"I know how you feel." Juliet said and wrapped her arm around Harper's shoulders. Just as they had sat down again, Max and Greg came in. They went over to the counter and Greg sat on one of the stools. He nudged his nose against her hairline and walked over to the table. He stood awkwardly in front of him.  
>"Mom, Dad, I need to ask you something that is very important." He bit his lip and closed his eyes to summon strength. "Can Greg move in with us?" He exhaled. Jerry and Theresa exchanged a look, "I know it's short notice, but she has nowhere else to go as her parents kicked her out and she spent all her money coming here." He looked at them pleadingly. "Please." He whispered.<br>"Jerry, she has to stay." Theresa whispered.  
>"I don't know. We hardly have any room. Where would she sleep?" He whispered in reply.<br>"The couch. Or she could share that airbed with Juliet in Alex's room."  
>"I don't know." Jerry hesitated.<br>"Jerry, come on. Her parents kicked the poor girl out. The least we can do is offer her a roof over her head." Theresa said. Jerry nodded. They looked up at Max. "She can stay." Theresa said.  
>"Oh my gosh, thank you! Thank you so much Mom. I won't blow it, I promise." Max said and ran over to Greg, who had stood. They leant their foreheads together. Max entwined his fingers in Greg's hair. "We're going to stay together; you're going to be safe. I promise." He disentangled his fingers and lead her upstairs.<p>

"Thank you for doing this for me." Greg said as she, Juliet and Theresa put pillows into pillowcases and sorted out the blanket on the sofa. "I shall feel quite at home here." She smiled at the two other women who smiled back. They looked around. Greg had neatly folded her clothes on one of the armchairs and she was wearing her pyjamas and brushing her hair back into a plait. She tied it off with hair elastic and hugged them both goodnight. They hugged her back and turned the lamps off and crept out. Greg snuggled down under the covers and tried to fall asleep.

When Harper came in for breakfast the next morning, she found herself running into Alex's room and woke both Alex and Juliet and brought them into the living room. Juliet ran for Justin and Mason and eventually Jerry and Theresa appeared too. They all looked in shock. It appeared that in the night, Max had gotten out of his own bed and come down to Greg and fell asleep on the floor beside her. Greg's hand dangled over the edge of the couch and Max's hand was inches from hers. The pair began to wake up and jumped when they saw the entire family looking down at them.  
>"Morning Mom, morning Dad." Max said.<br>"Good Morning Mr and Mrs Russo." Greg said.  
>"What's for breakfast?" Alex said, breaking the tension.<p>

After breakfast, Max found Greg out on the terrace playing her guitar. He watched her as she played, the way her fingers twisted around the frets to find the notes and the way her forehead crumpled as she figured out what came next and how the shorter strands of her hair fell into her eyes.  
>"Hey Max." She said, without looking up. She gave the guitar a final strum and turned to look at him. He looked back at her and everything began to change. The emotions started deep in the pit of his stomach and then bubbling up and suddenly a fire shot through his veins. He looked at Greg and knew, he just <em>knew<em>, his facial expression was the same as hers. A mix between shock, happiness and utter euphoria. He smiled and went to sit beside her. She placed the guitar in his lap.  
>"Can you play?" She asked.<br>He shook his head, "No." She grinned.  
>"Then I'll teach you." She knelt in front of him and arranged his fingers on the frets. Then she held up a small triangular piece of plastic with SpongeBob's face printed on the front. "This is a pick or plectrum. You use it to strum." She placed it correctly in his hand and pointed. "Strum." Max did as he was told and the note leapt out. "That was an A chord. This," She rearranged his fingers, "is a C chord." Max strummed again. Eventually she showed him how to play a G chord. "Now play them in the order I showed you." He played as she told him.<br>"That's awesome. That's so cool!" He smiled and turned to find her sitting beside him. She was so close. It was deadly quiet and no one was around. They leant in and made lip contact for the first time.

It was like flying. The fire in Max's veins gave another fireball and shot through them again but this time it stayed burning. But his skin became covered in goosebumps. After the first he leant in for more and Greg succumbed unconditionally. Max was pumping, full of adrenaline, knowing he'd never experience anything like this again.


End file.
